FOR GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND. 55 



5 fathoms, which accords well with the known fact, that 

 the heaviest sea passes on the north side of Inchkeith, 

 and not on the south. If we return to the German 

 Ocean, we observe that towards its southern portion mud 

 is found within about 20 fathoms of the surface, and under 

 the lee of the Dogger Bank within 15 fathoms ; and pro- 

 ceeding still further south, we find it on the coast of Holland 

 at depths of 16, 15, 13, 12, and only 8 fathoms at the mouth 

 of the Elbe." 



" Now the violence of the waves upon the shores of the 

 German Ocean certainly decreases in proportion to the rise 

 in the level of the mud, there being a gradual decrease as 

 we come from Whalsey, where, as will be afterwards shown, 

 wonderful energy is displayed by the sea to the coasts of 

 Holland, where the waves are much modified. Although the 

 flat-bottomed vessels of the Dutch are built purposely for 

 resisting a heavy surf, still the fact of their being able to take 

 the beach in nearly all weathers along that coast without any 

 protection from harbours goes far to prove that the waves 

 are much reduced before they reach the Dutch shore." 



"In short, although in any parallel of latitude we shall 

 find in the German Ocean almost every gradation of depth 

 between the low-water margin of the shores where there is 

 no depth at all, and the maximum sounding in the sea out- 

 side, yet mud nowhere appears to exist in shoal water in 

 any place where there is a heavy sea." 



" The same general result may be found on the west coast 

 of the British Isles. While on the west of Ireland mud 

 does not lie nearer the low-water level than from 40 to 60 

 fathoms, patches may be found on its eastern or more 

 sheltered side, to the north of Dublin, at only 20 fathoms, 

 and half way up Belfast Lough, where there is good shelter, 

 it may be found at 5 fathoms below the surface." 



